The
movie The Searchers was an American vision of how the Native Americans were
viewed by settlers who were moving across the country claiming land from the
Natives. The movie is shaped by
racism toward the Native Americans.
From the opening scene of the movie to the end one can see how racism
shapes the main character, John Wayne, and the other characters around him.
From
the opening scene of the movie, when the whole family is reunited with uncle
Edwards return, the whole family is eating dinner and then Martin comes in late
to dinner. At this point the first
thing Edwards says to him is, “I could mistake you for a half breed.” This starts the movie off and shows how
the main character, Ethan Edwards, views Native American people as the scum of
the earth. Later in the opening
scene we find out that Edwards actually rescues Martin, the one eighth Indian,
from under a wagon while the rest of his tribe was being massacred. After finding this out Edwards says,
“it just happened to be me no more to make more of it.” This shows his resentment toward Martin
even though he was the one that rescued him from under the wagon.
Another
way the movie displays racism toward the Native American people is whenever the
shot is about to show a Native American their shadow is shown first then the
camera pans up to show their face.
This is seen in the scene where the Native American Tribe captures
little Debbie. Right after the
scene where she is captured we see Ethan riding back to the ranch and Martin is
running with his saddle to find Ethan.
When he calls to Ethan he just rides by without stopping or saying
anything the Martin leaving him to run back to the ranch while Ethan is on
horse back.
The
movie displays many different forms of racism, as shown above, such as when
they show the Native Americans as shadows first. However, the most noticeable way the movie dehumanizes Native
Americans is when you see them they never talk in the movie. This is shown when they Native
Americans are surrounding the rescue group and they are just following them
waiting for the rescue group to take off in fear. This shows how the Native Americans hunting style mimics a
group of lions stalking its pray waiting for their pray to make its first move. The Native Americans also a few scenes
later after the rescue party has been chased across the river. The Native Americans stay on the other
side of the river making war cry sounds rather than talking normal.
The
final way the movies dehumanized the Native Americans is by having the Native American
chief, Scar, played as a white American.
This just goes to show that even in the movie Native Americans still weren’t
respected enough to play the lead role as chief. This could also, show that throughout the Wild West that
Native Americans were never in charge, and that white Americans were always in
charge because they had the better weapons and basically took advantage of the
trust Native Americans had in other people.
Eric Shacklette
While it's normal to start at the beginning of post when responding, I have to say your final thought about the theory behind having a white actor portray Scar is something I haven't considered. Native Americans have always been portrayed as being "bad guys" throughout Hollywood's history, and while there are exceptions to this standard, by and large, Native Americans have been portrayed as brutal savages who deserved to be conquered. Clearly, The Searchers in no exception.
ReplyDeleteThe idea, however, of having white actors play lead roles regarding Native American characters, and the concept of showing they were "never in charge" is a compelling one. While such an idea would doubtfully be a spoken, or even a conscious one, it's not a stretch to believe such an attitude prevailed in that era. The ease of accepting such an unfortunate disposition is made even easier when you consider the fact that director John Ford used true Native Americans to play supporting "Indian" roles in The Searchers, but when it came to the lead antagonist--Scar--a white man with blue eyes was given the role.
To me, this helps support the "never in charge" idea a great deal.
I've also considered the fact the attitudes concerning non-whites on display in The Searchers gives insight into the true feelings of many white Americans, especially those residing in the era the movie was released in (late 1950s). With that in mind, perhaps Hollywood has outgrown such ignorant ideas concerning Native Americans in movies, but then again, the fact that Johnny Depp is playing Tonto in the upcoming revamping of The Lone Ranger, perhaps not.
I do agree that Indians will always be portrayed as an antagonistic force in Hollywood. But as for racism in Hollywood, and toward Indians at that time I do not agree with. The racism displayed in the movie is of historical accounts of what happened back when settlers were exploring the west and that is the information being put in the movies. Now I would make the case that Hollywood makes Indians more brutal and savage then what they probably were, but in the 1950s many Americans saw them as normal people and not competition. Racism in Hollywood is a bad claim to base on this movie cause it depicts how Americans saw Indians back then.
ReplyDeleteI do thoroughly believe this movie makes Indians seem like they are not even people. They are treated like animals almost and I feel they may have over done the "cruelty" that the Indians display in the movie. Their
cultural ways shouldn't be frowned upon or exaggerated by Hollywood. They have brought a misrepresented view on native Americans, and it effects all western movies. If you were to make a western, it's almost required to make Indians as the enemy or else people wouldn't find it entertaining.
So in the movies, yes there is racism, but as for the time period the movies are produced, racism toward Indians are part of the past. By then reservations had been created and native Americans were either part of the reservations or becoming part of an outside community. In those communities they are widely accepted and are poorly represented in Hollywood. I'm sure that native Americans do not like the way they are represented and over exaggerated in this movies and other westerns that display the same theme. It makes a good storyline but as for historical purposes and making the movie realistic, Hollywood created a false theme that has been carried down the decades of film.
Philip Shutler